Washington, DC - Family Equality Council today strongly denounced a decision by a Texas judge to bar Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs the ability to second-parent adopt their twin sons and add their names to their birth certificates. The twins were conceived through a surrogate and the dads are each the biological father of one of the twins.

Texas lacks marriage protections for LGBTQ families and surrogacy contracts are only valid if they are between married couples. Since Jason and Joe are barred from being married, their family and families like theirs are left to the discretion of judges in various counties.

“This case clearly illustrates the concrete harms that LGBTQ families face on a daily basis in states like Texas, which have few protections in place for them," said Family Equality Council Executive Director, Gabriel Blau. “This judge was wrong on moral, ethical, and legal grounds. It is time for judges and others in positions of authority to put the best interests of children first. Judges and lawmakers should stop denying loving, committed families the protections they need to take care of one another. As the patchwork of laws affecting LGBTQ families across this country continue to cause uncertainty, we will continue to push for both legal and lived equality for all families, and we are grateful to Jason and Joe for standing up and telling their story.”

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About Family Equality Council®: Family Equality Council® connects, supports, and represents the three million parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer in this country today and their six million children of all ages. We are changing attitudes and policies to ensure that all families are respected, loved, and celebrated—including families with parents who are LGBTQ. We are a community of parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren that reaches across this country. For over 30 years we have raised our children and raised our voices toward fairness for all families. To learn more, visit: http://www.familyequality.org